Sydne is a junior Journalism major and public relations minor. She enjoys shopping, going out to eat, watching movies and listening to music.
She thoroughly enjoyed her job as an FYE Peer Mentor and feels that anyone seeking the position should be passionate about mentorship. She shares her experience below.
What made you want to become a peer mentor? Becoming a mentor was important to me because I know firsthand how difficult coming into your freshman year without one can be. Mentors are able to give you guidance and a deeper insight into Georgia State University, the greater Atlanta area, and life in general. It brings me joy to be in the position to provide this information to other students who will appreciate it as I would have if I had a mentor my first year.
What was the best part of serving as a peer mentor? The best part about serving as a peer mentor is the moment you realize how much you have served as a positive influence to the students you mentor. I will never forget when one of my mentees told me she appreciated that I was there for her more than some of her family and her professors. Another highlight is when you are able to master the art of providing help to students who seek help as well as the students who don’t. And how can I forget the friendships I’ve made with some of the other mentors!
How did you balance school work, campus involvement and the peer mentor position? It’s all about time management. I was able to balance a semester load of work, campus involvement, and this position by balancing my schedule and allotting ample time to each of these areas. When you’re passionate about something, setting aside time for it is not a burden. With a positive mindset, succeeding in all of these areas is extremely possible.
Do you feel you made a lasting impression on your mentees? I do. Even after my term as a peer mentor concluded with the fall Freshman Learning Communities, several students still reach out to me for assistance.
What piece of advice would you offer a student seeking to be a peer mentor? One piece of advice I would offer to future peer mentors is to be passionate about this position that you are seeking. If you don’t love what you’re doing, how can you expect to positively affect someone who sees you’re not interested in it? As a student leader your actions and the way you carry yourself will affect the students you mentor in more ways than one. You are not only a mentor in this position, but potentially someone’s role model and to be passionate about this position is the only way you will excel within it.
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